Sinner stands between Djokovic and 25th major; fully fit Sabalenka eyes strong French Open run

Novak Djokovic on Friday admitted world number one Jannik Sinner was the man to beat at Roland Garros as the imperious Italian stands on the brink of completing his career Grand Slam.

Djokovic, 39, is chasing a 25th major title, which would put him outright first for the most Grand Slam victories in the history of the sport.

However, Sinner, who is on a 29-match winning streak and has won the last six Masters events, casts a long shadow over the sole remaining Grand Slam tournament he has not yet won.

“It’s an incredible feat for him and his team. We’ve talked a lot about how impressive he is on all surfaces,” Djokovic said of Sinner, who with victory at the three clay-court Masters this season became just the second man after the Serb to win all nine 1000-level titles.

“Being one of the two guys that have managed in the history to be the only ones to win the Golden Masters, I know how challenging that is and how difficult it is.

“So I want to congratulate him for that because it’s quite an achievement and he’s really young, he still has a lot of time ahead of him.”

After falling on opposite sides of the draw, third-seeded Djokovic and Sinner, 24, cannot meet until the final on June 7.

In the absence through injury of double-defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic, who has reached at least the semi-finals at each of the past five Grand Slams, appears the most likely man to be able to put a stop to Sinner’s run.

“He’s going for his Golden Slam as well here if I’m not mistaken. He’s maybe in the form of his life, and without Carlos being here also increases his chances even more of claiming more Grand Slam titles,” Djokovic said.

“So we’re all here to try to win against him and prevent him from taking more titles.”

Meanwhile, world number one Aryna Sabalenka insists she has fully shaken off the physical woes that derailed her French Open preparations, despite arriving at Roland Garros without a semi-final appearance on clay this season.

Sabalenka’s French Open hopes had been clouded by injury and the Belarusian top seed managed just four wins from six matches on clay this season, a stark contrast to her dominant 26-1 win-loss record before this year’s claycourt swing began.

Her struggles included a shock third-round exit at the Italian Open, where she complained of lower back and hip problems, but the 28-year-old said that taking some time off had worked wonders for her recovery.

“I struggled in the beginning of the claycourt (swing) physically, but right now I feel 100%,” Sabalenka told reporters on Friday.

“We did a great recovery. We focused on recovery and made sure that I’m healed everywhere and I’m ready to go. Right now, physically I’m ready to go.”

She has played just six matches on clay but Sabalenka brushed off concerns about her limited time on court, insisting experience trumped match practice.

“I think all of us are here just for one reason, doesn’t matter if I didn’t play a lot of matches on the claycourt,” Sabalenka added.

“I know how to play on clay and it’s all about being physically and mentally healthy, to go for it, and to be ready to fight.”

Players accuse Grand Slams of ignoring concerns: A simmering dispute between players and the Grand Slams over revenue sharing intensified at the French Open on Friday, with Djokovic warning the sport risked further fragmentation as leading players pressed for a greater voice in shaping its future.

Several players were expected to limit their appearances at Friday’s traditional pre-tournament media day to 15 minutes and without conducting any additional multi-media interviews.

The tensions have been building for weeks but the rhetoric sharpened in Paris, where players such as Taylor Fritz insisted that their grievances were not just about “wanting more money”.

“It’s about just wanting what’s fair,” the American added.

“As the tournaments make more money, we obviously want to see the revenue shared back to the players reflect that.”

Agencies